Having missed out on my usual winter visit to the North East (The parents came down instead to see their Grandson), I managed to slip in a few days over the Easter break to catch up on a few of my favourite birds/locations.
We arrived latish on the 24th, a 9 1/2 hour jaunt from Hampshire with the wife and our 8-month-old son in tow. I didn't see any birds from Newcastle upwards as I had fallen asleep so nothing to report for the first day!
The 25th started off very wet, but ever the optimist I went out to the coast. Budle bay in the rain produced; Bar-Tailed Godwit, Teal, Wigeon, Shelduck, Greater and Lesser Black-Backed Gulls, Redshank, Curlew and my first spring migrant of the year in Chiffchaff.
The next stop was Stag Rocks in Bamburgh, probably my favourite birding spot in the UK. The rain was even heavier now, but I still decided to brave the elements anyway! Visibility was good, even with the rain as no sea mist was around. The poor weather had pushed a lot of the local seabirds close to the shore. Scoping the sea it became very apparent that a large build-up of ducks and auks had occurred. Auk numbers were in the hundreds with a few Puffin sprinkled in amongst the Guillemots and Razorbills. Closer in to shore three rafts of Common Scoter were present (roughly 200 birds) and to my delight in amongst the Eiders on the very edge were 2 female Velvet Scoters. These were joined by 3 Long-Tailed Ducks (2m, 1f) with a further 5 distantly on the horizon. All the winter birds I thought I might have missed still seemed to be present! Three Red-Throated Divers were also fairly close to shore with 2 of them performing all their dives and other actions very close to each other and in perfect synchronisation (pairing for the breeding season perhaps?). Turnstone on the rocks and Shag and Cormorant just off the shore rounded off a good but brief visit. No grebes and no Purple sandpipers were the only disappointments.
The next stop off was further down the coast at Cresswell to try and find the Lapland Bunting/Snow Buntings and Spoonbill. No luck, but I did have a nice long chat about local birding with a chap from Morpeth. Added Moorhen, Coot and Tufted Duck. A brief squint at the sea gave 70+ Wigeon and a really close-in Red-Throated Diver which spent a lot of the time lying on its back preening, something I've never witnessed before. The only thing the diver needed was cable TV and a drink as he looked so relaxed.
Back home to look after the kid. Went via a few back roads and got Lapwing, Bullfinch and Yellowhammer and Red-Legged Partridge. All nicely rounded off with Nuthatch in the neighbour’s garden and another Chiffchaff in the parent’s. Including the common species 59 in total. Not bad at all.
26th wet, misty and generally unpleasant. Went to the Ingram valley with the parents and son (wife had buggered off to Edinburgh for her sisters hen do). No Dippers, maybe haven't returned from wintering sites or the heavy water flow meant they had disappeared elsewhere. Grey Wagtail gave nice views. Back home to change nappies and prepare baby food.
27th. Afternoon, wife returned, weather very misty and wet. Tried Harthope valley for the usual mountain/moorland suspects. No luck only Meadow Pipits, Red-Legged Partridge and another good soaking.
28th. Last chance saloon. Tried the Harthope again. Very misty, visibility 100 yards on the valley floor and the mist was clingingly wet but not falling as rain. Again no dippers, but a pair of Goosander and Oystercatchers were holding the same territories as they did last year. Wheatears were in the same places as usual as were a couple of pairs of Stonechat. More Red-Legged Partridges, no Greys though. A climb into the hillside was cut short as visibility dropped to 10 yards, an eerie experience up a hill in the middle of nowhere and beginning to lose your bearings! No sign of the hoped for Ring Ouzel, but at least I heard a couple of Red Grouse on the way down. Still 2 hours before lunch so quickly whizzed off to Stag Rocks again. Conditions like the valley were poor with visibility about 70 yards tops. But again the birds had been pushed in close (except the Auks who preferred on the whole to remain further offshore). 5 Purple Sandpipers were on the rocks and a group of 3 Slavonian Grebes were close in as well. Excellent!! As I took one last scan I got a good view of 4 Gannets, doing an s-shaped fly past, weaving in towards shore and then out again. Was this normal and due to the fog, I always thought they flew fairly straight? An interesting end to a great birding day out. Unfortunately dipped on Dipper and Red-Necked Grebe but locals said it was a poor year for all grebes in the area. No Grey Partridges either which is odd considering I connected with Red-Legs on 8 occaisons. Maybe a large release of Reds has occurred for the shooting season or the Greys had more sense than to come out in this weather!
29th. Packed the car early for the trip home. Tawny Owl heard in the trees opposite the parents house making a grand total of 73 for the trip and ending it on a great note.
Thanks for viewing and I hope I have shown how much I love birdwatching this area and maybe persuaded a few of you to have a look if you're in the region.
All the best, Herring
Awww if I'd known you were in the area I would have went out birding with you. I live on the hill which backs onto the Ingram Valley! Haven't been up to the Harthope Valley yet though...possibly later this week whilst hubby's at work 
LOL
Stag Rocks sounds fab...never been along that way either *i don't get out much LOL*......but since I'm planning to get out a bit this week I think I'll pencil it in!
The weather up here HAS been pretty grotty since last Friday...fog kept rolling in and sometimes could barely see our garden wall which is only twelve feet away from the windows!
Hope your next visit is a LOT better!
GILL